


Homeless Romantic

by potatoesarenotforsex



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging & YouTube RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Homeless, High School, Homelessness, M/M, Phan AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 21:40:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatoesarenotforsex/pseuds/potatoesarenotforsex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil was always a dreamer, perhaps too much so. He always believed in being true to yourself, but he learnt very early on that the truth can be painful. Dan has never been the romantic type, more the kind to mess around in class, be an idiot for attention. But fate has a funny way of taking you precisely where you need to go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back in the Atmosphere

It's not as if Dan is a horrible person. He's really not.

But as he sits listening to his headmaster reel off the list of misdemeanors he has committed during his second last year at school (he can't help but grin a little as he recites some of them, 'running into the library with water pistols asking where they've hidden the flame princess'), it almost sounds as if he's done nothing BUT be a menace. The headmaster certainly seems to think this is the case, reprimanding Dan's parents for not having managed their son better. Actually, Dan's kind of annoyed that the blame seems to be falling to his parents, as if they had anything to do with him getting bored in class and coming up with pranks, and says as much. Big mistake.

The headmaster turns on him; steam practically sizzling out of his nostrils. He's told not to interrupt the adults, to learn to wait his turn, that this is precisely the kind of disrespectful behavior that got him into this situation in the first place.

But later when Dan's mum hugs him and looks him in the eyes, saying she was proud that he was willing to stand up for others, he couldn't help but feel like the headmaster has the wrong definition for respect.

He was condemned to eight weeks of community service, three days a week for the duration of his holidays. Dan tried not to make a scene but internally he was raging, that was a substantial part of his holidays they were taking away from him, just for playing up a bit in school?

As he shuffled out of the office beside his parents, he read over the note that had been given to him with the address of where he'd be working and the name and contact number of his supervisor:

 _Booth Centre_  
Manchester Cathedral  
Victoria Street  
Supervisor: PJ

_Phone: 0161 835 2499_

Dan let out a big sigh as he clambered into the car behind his parents.

This was bound to be the most tedious two months ever.


	2. Acts Like Summer

"So… yeah!" Dan rolled his eyes at the camera lens, exaggerating his exasperation, "I'm stuck working in this centre for, like, most of my free time, starting today." He pulled the side of his fringe down with his free hand, the other holding his camera steady as he walked down the street in the cold morning air.

"And that's why I am up at the ungodly hour of 9am in the middle of summer break, making you guys a video to complain about my life," he chuckled, "I have no idea why I'm even making this, I guess I'm just uninspired to make an actual proper planned video today, I'll probably just put this on my second channel, just wanted to let you guys know what I'm up to and that I'm thinking of you… always." He added in a creepy voice, accompanied by a sarcastic, seductive wink.

Switching the camera off and tucking into his bag, he walked a little longer until he reached the front door of the Booth Centre. It was unimpressive, to say the very least. He might have missed it completely if he wasn't looking out for the name- the worn wooden door was next to the entrance to a rundown pizza parlour (which had not yet opened).

The door was unlocked and unsure if he should be waiting outside for someone to meet him, but it was cold and Dan was not inclined to just wait around for direction and so, pushing the creaking door inwards, he started walking up the narrow stairs.

Not entirely sure what he had been expecting, the open area at the end of the first flight of stairs looked like it could be an afterschool centre, or a clubroom. There was a pool table and a stack of board games on a low table surrounded by old couches (which looked like they had been pulled from a rubbish tip) and on the far side of the room there was a long desk with chairs on either out, 'Hello?' only to be greeting by a slight echo and silence, Dan walked over to the couch and sat down, the fabric scratching slightly at the gap where his shirt didn't quite meet his jeans.

Shifting slightly, he began to wonder if he'd come in on the wrong day, or if they hadn't been told he was coming, but then he heard some footsteps coming down the stairs. A face appeared at the doorway, a young man with messy hair and green eyes and a cautious but welcoming smile, and a body soon followed with one hand outstretched in a wave- 'You must be Dan!'

Dan rose and shook his hand, 'PJ,' introducing himself, they both sat back down onto the couches.

PJ explained how Dan would be helping out, handing out food coupons to those who needed them, they would hand them out between 10 and 4 every day. "The rest of the time you just have to hang here, talk to people, play Scrabble!"

PJ kicked his feet up onto the table, resting his hand behind his head.

"I know you're here as punishment but really, it's a pretty sweet place to serve your time. I spend most of my time chatting to the guys who come in, listening to their stories, helping them find a job or training. I won't get you to do food coupons for the first week or so, but once you've been here for a bit maybe you'll join in on the youth program? It's something we run for the younger visitors to our centre, take them out to a bowling alley, or for lunch or something, so they get to socialise and go somewhere nice aside from this place," he gestured around the area where they were seated, "But like I said, today just chat to people, find out if they need help and feel free to ask me anything. We've got some pamphlets and lists of centres which can help out, but really most of them will just want a chat."

Patting Dan on the back, he started making his way back to the door then stopped turning around, "I'm heading upstairs to sort out some finance paperwork, but I don't expect anyone will be here for an hour or so anyway, we're just open this early in case someone urgently needs us! There's a doorbell here," he pointed to the button on the frame of the door leading from the stairs, "Press that when someone arrives if you need me to come down." And then he was gone and Dan was alone again.

He slumped back into the couch. Maybe this wouldn't be that awful after all, just chat to anyone who comes in; how hard could that be?


	3. Walks Like Rain

Balancing his camera on top of a stack of his school textbooks (the most he'd used them for since his mum had brought them home a week ago, preaching that earlier study made for easier study), Dan hit the red button and sat back down in his chair, briefly checking he was well placed in the shot and making slight adjustments to his fringe before he started speaking.

"Hello! Well I'm back, still alive and still gorgeous," He waggled his eyebrows, then continued on a more serious note. "You know, it actually ended up being not all that bad, as community service goes! The centre is pretty relaxed and the guy who's my supervisor, PJ, is very cool- he bought me pizza for lunch!"

He paused, knowing he could edit up waffling and silence later, trying to think of how to continue the video. There were no particularly funny stories, no amusing fails or danecdotes, but somehow he felt it was important find a way to document what was going to happen over the next few weeks of his life. Swinging his chair from side to side, inspiration suddenly struck.

"And with no further ado, may I present the newest section of this channel," Dan drummed his hands against his desk, "The most-interestingest-person I've met today!"

He laughed good humouredly at the atrocious title, "That is unless one of you guys can come up with a better name for it," his fingers pointed downwards, "Then let me know in the comments! I have faith in you my Danosaurs; I mean statistically at least one third of you are brighter than me…" He shrugged.

"But onto today's most-interestingest-person-" He paused, stroking an imaginary beard while pulling a whimsical face.

"I just realised there should be some sort of privacy involved in this, seeing as I am WAY too socially awkward to just ask people if they don't mind being named online- Aha! (He later edited a light bulb appearing over his head at this point) I'll just use fictional names! Let's call this guy… Gandalf. And I mean that in the way that he's the old-and-wise type," his hand movements became more exuberant as he got carried away with his description, "But conveniently he does have a beard and grey hair and wears this strange little felt hat thing- and he is officially the king of Scrabble. I can say this wholeheartedly because, well," he brushed some imaginary dirt off his shoulder, "I think you'll find I'm rather a champion of Scrabble myself! But this guy? I swear when the older guys at the centre asked if I wanted to play with them I thought it was going to be a boring hour of trying to politely ignore when they broke the rules of misspelt words; but these guys mean serious business and Sa-"

He corrected himself, making a mental not to edit out this blunder later, " _Gandalf_ was the very best of all. He made a six or seven letter word almost every round and swept the floor with us all four times in a row. Playing with him was basically like being in the presence of royalty…"

Dan leant back, propping his feet up onto the desk and folding his hands behind his head.

"And he was a really decent player, you know? Setting it up nicely so we all had place to play, always up for suggesting a really filthy word and then giggly away like a ten-year-old- it was actually so much fun! I'm only sorry he didn't stay for more than two hours."

He let his head fall slack backwards, eyes turned to the ceiling, reliving the memory, a small smile gracing his lips. It took a moment for him to remember he was still filming, and when he did he sat back so abruptly he disturbed the balance of his chair and almost sent the whole thing toppling over.

"Anyway, there you go! Short video today, sorry, but PJ said the younger guys come in on Wednesdays so I might have more to tell you then!"

Dan suddenly smacked his palm to his forehead. "I just realised PJ might not be cool with his name in these videos either!"

He clasped his hands together in mock prayer. "Please forgive me. Or yell at me in two days and I'll go edit it out of both videos, err, and all the people who've seen them can be brainwashed? Oh dear so much to organise... Might be easier if you just sell me your identity," he winked at the camera, then waved brightly, "See you all soon!"

After an appropriate pause he leant over and switched the camera off and pulled it off the books, bringing it with him as he flopped down onto his bed, exhausted.

Some holiday. But he had to admit that he had had a fun day.

Rolling over, he planned to watch over the footage he'd just filmed, but instead was sound asleep in moments, fully clothed with the lights still on.

                     


End file.
